Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, an official announced, on Monday. According to news agency Reuters, this was a widely expected decision that followed the departure from the government of Centrist former general Benny Gantz and his ally Gadi Eisenkot.
Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who had been in the war cabinet. According to the BBC, Gantz had quit eight days ago after stating that there was a lack of strategy for the war, there had been calls from far-right ministers to take his place.
Gantz and Eisenkot, two former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, announced their resignation on June 9. Gantz said that the Prime Minister’s leadership was “preventing us from approaching true victory”, reports BBC.
On Sunday, Netanyahu told ministers that there was no need for another decision-making body and has decided to dissolve it.
“The Prime Minister had said ‘The war cabinet was in the coalition agreement with... Benny Gantz' at his request. With Gantz leaving the government, there is no more need for this extra branch of government," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said, as per BBC.
The decision was announced after the United States special envoy, Amos Hochstein visited Jerusalem to ease tensions on the border dispute with Lebanon, where Israel said tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia were bringing the region close to a wider conflict.
On Monday, the Israeli military stated that it had killed a senior operative in one of Hezbollah's rocket and missile sections in the area of Selaa in southern Lebanon. The military added its operations were continuing in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, where it has been battling Hamas fighters in the Tel Sultan area of western Rafah and central parts of the enclave.
Hochstein’s visit follows weeks of escalating exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanon, where Israeli forces have for months been engaged in a conflict with Hezbollah, which has continued alongside the war in Gaza.